CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Harmony Myers, branch chief of Safety Engineering and Assurance in the Program Development and Operations Division of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA's Kennedy Space center in Florida, received the Emerging Leader Award from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) on Nov. 9 in Houston. She was nominated by the Central Florida section of SWE for meeting difficult technical challenges in space program-related safety, dedication to SWE leadership and outreach to youth.

"I was very excited and honored to receive this award," Myers said.

The Society of Women Engineers is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity. "I have been involved with SWE since 1998, when I was a collegiate member at the University of Central Florida," Myers said. "I became a lifelong member of SWE in 2001."

The Emerging Leader Award is given by SWE to honor a woman who has actively engaged in engineering or technology professions and has demonstrated outstanding technical excellence and significant accomplishments in her career as an engineer. In order to become eligible for the award, recipients must have had 10 to 15 years of engineering experience.

As a member, Myers participates in outreach for the organization by conducting hands-on experiments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to encourage youth, specifically girls, to take interest in those subjects. "I've led these workshops at Girl Scout events, the Sally Ride Festival, and many other outreach events," Myers said. "I've also been responsible for leading the team that organized and hosts these events."

Myers started her career in 2000 at Kennedy as a reliability engineer for NASA contractor United Space Alliance (USA). While at USA, Myers performed various reliability and safety analyses on ground support equipment for the Space Shuttle Program. She also helped with design modification activities and operational process changes for all of the Space Shuttle Program requirements.

In 2005, Myers became a civil servant for NASA. Now as the branch chief of Safety Engineering and Assurance in the Program Development and Operations Division of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, she is responsible for all activities that include safety and reliability analyses of ground support equipment and safety operations for new programs and projects such as the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV).

Maynette Smith, chief of the Payload Development and Processing Division, was Myers' supervisor at Kennedy. "In her tenure with NASA, Harmony has made significant contributions both at the center and agency level. She represents the future of NASA. Harmony has tireless dedication and talent," Smith said.

Myers currently is on a detail at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as the executive director of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). In this role, she manages the operations of the panel, which advises the NASA administrator on the overall safety of the agency.

Myers has won several awards for her leadership, including the NASA Spaceflight Awareness Leadership Award, Central Florida Engineers Week Leadership Excellence Award, and NASA Most Effective Mentor Award, all in 2011. She also received the University of Central Florida Rising Star Award from the College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2010, the SWE Distinguished New Engineer in 2006, the Regional Award for Outstanding SWE Counselor in 2005 and the Central Florida Engineers Week Young Engineer of the Year Award in 2003.

"I've always looked at the big picture and enjoyed making a difference, and that has been a key driver to successful leadership in the organization," Myers said.